THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210357
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERESA ANNAS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
As dawn broke on Wednesday, soprano Amy Johnson was packing up her rental car in Pennsylvania, where heavy snow had closed down the airports. Eight hours later, having crawled along through a blizzard, she made it to Norfolk just as rehearsal began.
Wearing jeans and snow-stained work boots, she took to the stage at Harrison Opera House in Norfolk. It was a familiar setting for Johnson, who has performed in six Virginia Opera productions since 1992.
But this was her first time singing the challenging soprano part in Handel's ``Messiah,'' being presented by Virginia Symphony on Friday and Saturday. The work will feature the 82-member Virginia Symphony Chorus, 33 Symphony musicians and four soloists, Johnson among them.
Written in 1743 by George Frideric Handel, the full-length piece tells the story of Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection.
As music director JoAnn Falletta signaled the orchestra to begin, Johnson raised her ``Messiah'' score - and her voice in song. She embarked on the first of four recitatives, which is a kind of spoken song.
There were shepherds abiding in the field
Keeping watch o'er their flocks by night
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them
Next, in ``Rejoice, greatly,'' her voice soared as she navigated the coloratura passages, in which a single syllable is stretched to hit a dozen or more notes. Picture a silk ribbon being threaded through a complex web of machinery - the ribbon goes up, down and around, never snagging in one spot.
Just before going on stage, Johnson called the coloratura parts ``vocal fireworks. It's really athletically invigorating to do,'' she said.
The only part that intimidated her was the ``Hallelujah Chorus,'' which comes at the end of part two, just after Christ's death. During that famous chorus, ``You can get so involved emotionally, you can forget what you're doing,'' she said.
This weekend's concerts mark the fourth year Falletta has conducted ``Messiah'' in Norfolk. ``I very rarely did it before that. The musicians have played it a lot more than I have,'' she said.
``But I love doing it. At the core of the piece is this incredible message of hope. It's very non-sectarian. Very universal.
``And the music is so incredible.'' Handel wrote the entire score in 25 days, and conducted it more than 100 times.
After completing the ``Hallelujah Chorus,'' Handel is alleged to have said, ``I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God himself.''
While conducting, Falletta sees the passion of the players before her.
``It's so moving to me to feel the intensity of everyone on stage. You can feel a collective hope and passion that is so much in this music. You can feel their great love of this music coming through.'' ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN color photos/The Virginian-Pilot
Scott Harris of the Virginia Symphony plays during a rehearsal
Wednesday at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk.
Max Wittges, from Washington, will sing one of the four ``Messiah''
solos. The work also will feature the Virginia Symphony Chorus and
33 symphony musicians. It tells of Christ's birth, life, death and
resurrection.
Photo
JEN FRIEDBERG
JoAnn Falletta conducts the Virginia Symphony during a rehearsal
Wednesday at the Harrison Opera House. This weekend will mark the
fourth year she has conducted ``Messiah'' in Norfolk.
Graphic
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